Raymon Lee Cramton

Raymon Lee Cramton (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012), known professionally as Chad Everett, died at the age of 75. He was well known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama Medical Center which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1976.

Everett's first notable role came in an episode of the ABC/Warner Brothers 1960-1962 detective series Surfside 6. His first major role came a year later in the film Claudelle Inglish, and subsequently played a deputy in the short-lived 1963 ABC western television series The Dakotas, which featured Jack Elam as a fellow lawman. After appearing in a number of movies and television series in the later 1960s, he got his big break, landing the role of Dr. Joe Gannon on the innovative medical drama, Medical Center, with costar James Daly.

After the series Medical Center ended, Everett became frustrated when no movie roles were forthcoming and television roles were not working out. A long-time social drinker, he began drinking heavily. He was consuming a quart of vodka a day by the time he quit drinking in 1986. “I was a functional alcoholic.”[17] Shelby noted his alcohol-related mood swings and has said, "finally I confronted him. I came into the bedroom with a big pot of coffee one morning and said 'we have a major problem to deal with here.'" A month later, Everett caught sight of himself on a video and did not like what he saw. " 'Finally,' I said, 'I am really in trouble'. I stepped outside and I looked up and said, 'Father, you take it. I can't handle it anymore.'" The next day, he told his daughters (who were living at home at the time), "I am addicted to alcohol, and I am not going away to detox. I am going to do it here so that you can see what happens to someone if you let a substance take control of you." He attended his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the next day and claimed he never drank again, attributing his discipline to his Christian faith and his self-pride

He appeared in numerous films and television series, including Centennial, Hagen, Airplane II: The Sequel, Star Command, and Mulholland Drive. He also appeared as a guest star in more than 40 television series such as Redigo, Melrose Place, The Nanny, Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis: Murder, Caroline in the City, Murder, She Wrote, The Red Skelton Show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Route 66.

In 1972, Everett had a much-publicized dispute with actress and comedian Lily Tomlin. During the taping of the March 31, 1972, telecast of The Dick Cavett Show, Everett, who was a conservative Republican, referred to his dog, horse, and wife as "my property". Tomlin, who is a feminist, was enraged by the remark and stormed off the set. In 1986, Everett's awarded star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled.

In 1987, Everett supplied the voice of Ultraman Chuck in the English version of the animated movie Ultraman: The Adventure Begins and voiced several characters in the animated television series The New Yogi Bear Show. He hosted Trinity Broadcasting Network's Master's Theater.[citation needed] He was selected by the family of John Wayne to be the voice of the animatronic figure of Wayne in Disney's Hollywood Studios' Great Movie Ride.[12] Based on Patrick Wayne's suggestion, Everett also provided the voice of John Wayne in a scene that only appears in the VHS version of Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

Everett died July 24, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles after a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer